It looks like my previous post was extremely accurate. The UK has officially entered lockdown this week and life as we know it is on pause for the foreseeable. I shared how to practice self-care during Coronavirus lockdown in a previous post and today I want to share some free learning resources to help keep you occupied during the lockdown.
I’m now in my second week of isolation and I had vague ideas bout being productive but I quickly learnt that this isn’t a summer holiday. I’ve seen lots of people online pledging to learn something new, pick up a side hustle, pursue a career change, become a polyglot. While I admire the ambition, I feel we ought to be realistic about the world we are now living in.
It’s important to focus on surviving a global pandemic. The implications of this are huge. There is no end date and judging my the likes of Italy and Spain, this will continue for months. That means working from home. Not seeing friends. Not seeing family. Adjusting to cooking three times a day. Being stuck within the same four walls. That is a lot to deal with and adjust to, so be kind to yourself and allow yourself time and space during this time.
I’ve been using my time for self-care, more yoga, reading and cooking. I decided to make my mental health a priority. While I’d love to learn a new language, which I really enjoy, but for now, Netflix seems to be enough for me. I have anxiety and I’m being cautious about piling too much on my plate. Coping and surviving is enough for me, for now.
However, everyone is different. If you are in the market to pick up a new skill or learn something, you’re in luck. Several leading learning resources are now offering courses for free to help keep your mind ticking over. So whether you want to explore a new interest or give your mind some exercise, I’m sure you can find something to keep your time occupied during lockdown.
Top Five Free Learning Resources for Lockdown:
Coursera has a variety of fee courses until 31st May, ranging from mental health and wellbeing to languages and data science.
Class Central has over 400 free courses from Ivy League schools such as Harvard, Brown and Yale. Whether you want to learn Principles of Biochemistry or delve into Modern & Contemporary American Poetry, there are some great courses on offer.
Skillshare is offering many free courses, including interior design to help you design your perfect space and typography composition and fonts. They are also offering 2 months of Skillshare Premium for free for new members if these courses don’t tickle your fancy.
Open University has an impressive roster of free courses, some of which offer you a ‘badge’ after completion which can be shared on LinkedIn etc.
Rosetta Stone is offering free courses to students fo 3 months, more than enough time to brush up on your Farsi, Italian or Hindi.
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